Two gas plants in Siberia were hit by FP-1 attack drones in what is said to be Ukraine’s farthest-reaching strike of the war.
Ukraine is claiming to have struck two energy infrastructure sites roughly 1,800 miles (2,900km) inside Russian territory.
Kyiv reported the operation on 9 September, saying natural gas processing plants in the Yamalo-Nenets autonomous region of Siberia were hit with Fire Point FP-1 one-way attack drones, which are designed and built by Ukrainian defence firm Fire Point.
The Novy Urengoy Gas Condensate Treatment Plant and the Purovsky Gas Processing Plant sit 1,765 miles and 1,727 miles from the Ukrainian border, respectively – not far from Russia’s northern seacoast.
The US-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) says this represents the farthest-reaching Ukrainian strike during the more than four-year war.
“The strike against targets in Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug demonstrates Ukraine’s ability to conduct long-range strikes against Russian energy infrastructure throughout all of European Russia and from the Norwegian border to beyond the Urals, exploiting Russia’s lack of air defences to cover its vast territory,” the ISW says.
Fire Point confirmed the operation in a 9 September post on Telegram, claiming the actual travelled distance for the attack drones was closer to 2,000 miles.
“FP-1 drones covered over 3,200 km, setting a new long-range strike record,” the company says. “A hit on the facility’s premises has been confirmed.”
Following the attack, the Ukrainian defence ministry shared video of several Russian industrial sites across the country ablaze, including one showing an FP-1 drone overhead.
By way of comparison, the US-made AGM-158B JASSM Extended Range air-launched cruise missile has a strike range of roughly 620 miles, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
The newer AGM-158D “Extreme Range” JASSM can reach targets 1,100 miles away. Both missiles are made by Lockheed Martin.
The FP-1 is a rail-launched, fixed-wing drone similar to the Iranain Shahed-136, Russian Geran 2 and US LUCAS (Low-cost Unmanned Combat Attack System), which is built by Arizona-based SpektreWorks.
It takes off from a mobile launch platform using a rocket booster assist before transitioning to forward flight using a rear-mounted propeller powered by a piston engine. The FP-1 offers a 60kg (132lb) payload, with a cruising speed of 75-97kt (140-180km/h) and a 7h flight endurance.
Notably, the latest strike extends beyond the officially listed FP-1 operating range, which Fire Point puts at 1,615 miles.
Fire Point’s much larger FP-5 Flamingo cruise missile is also capable of reaching targets in the neighbourhood of 1,800 miles, propelled by its Ivchenko AI-25TL turbofan engine – originally developed for the Czech Aero L-39 trainer and light fighter.
The much larger FP-5 offers a substantially greater explosive payload of 1,150kg and a 485kt cruise speed.
However, that larger size and a higher flight altitude make the FP-5 more likely to trigger air defences than the low-and-slow flying FP-1.
Fire Point is constructing a solid rocket propellant plant in Denmark the company says will be able to meet the needs of up to 4,000 missiles per year.
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